All patients registered with a GP have a Summary Care Record, unless they have chosen not to have one. The information held in your Summary Care Record gives health and care professionals, away from your usual GP practice, access to information to provide you with safer care, reduce the risk of prescribing errors and improve your patient experience. Your Summary Care Record contains basic information about allergies and medications and any reactions that you have had to medication in the past.
Some patients, including many with long term health conditions, have previously agreed to have Additional Information shared as part of their Summary Care Record. This additional information includes information about significant medical history (past and present), reasons for medications, care plan information and immunisations.
Why do I need a Summary Care Record?
By including this additional Information in your SCR, health and care staff can give you better care if you need health care away from your usual GP practice:
- in an emergency
- when you’re on holiday
- when your surgery is closed
- at out-patient clinics, when you visit a pharmacy
Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
Who can see it?
Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.
Do I have to have one?
The purpose of SCR is to improve the care that you receive, however, if you don’t want to have an SCR you have the option to opt out, you can also change your mind at any time. You can choose any of the following options:
- To have a Summary Care Record with Additional Information shared. This means that any authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals will be able to see an enriched Summary Care Record if they need to provide you with direct care.
- To have a Summary Care Record with core information only. This means that any authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals will be able to see information about allergies and medications only in your Summary Care Record if they need to provide you with direct care.
- To opt-out of having a Summary Care Record altogether. This means that you do not want any information shared with other authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals involved in your direct care, including in an emergency.
If you wish to ‘opt out’ of the Summary Care Record or wish to have a Summary Care Record with core information only, please contact the Practice.
More Information
For further information visit the NHS Care records website.